MTD Artist Pup mod advice pls

[RockinRoyster]

I recently purchased an older model single pick-up Kingston Artist & love the neck, string spacing, weight, etc.

It's bright tone is quite different from my Squire P/J & Schecter Elite, & that's a plus. However I'd like to be able to get a more classic tone out of it as well (without sacrificing it's current tone).

Another reason I like the Artist. My thumping/plucking/poping fingers land where neck pick-ups are normally placed, so when I play aggressivly, either my fingers or the strings strike the neck pick-ups on my other basses. So I'm averse to putting in a neck pup.

I'm not savy re: different electronics, pups, pre-amps, etc. Is there a mod I can do that preserves it's current tone but allow's getting a more mellow/fat classic sound as well?

FYI, I run a little mark with markbass 410, & like the tone the Schecter EMG's provide.

Thanks for any advice or experience you can share.

 

[RockinRoyster]

bump

 

[RockinRoyster]

oh well, just bumping my own post, guess being a bass swapper vs a knob twister is the answer

 

[fenderVI]

I know this is an old thread but being an MTD owner myself and seeing as there's not much info on mods for the MTD Artist... well here's some.

1) I recently routed in an extra pickup in the P bass neck position. MTD Artist neck has 24 frets which reaches further into the body zone so there's not a lot of real estate.
I put a Nordstrand P4 in and added a blend knob. Its added some smooth buttery bottom end to a very thin sounding bass.

2) The other thing to consider is putting in a series/parallel switch on the MTD Humbucker as its wired in series which will give the option to choose parallel which is how 70s Rays were wired.

3) The MTD pup is wired in series which gives it a thin tone, not much bass or top end. Parallel will produce the opposite, providing there's enough output you could also add a single coil switch, not sure on that one.

4) Change the Humbucker for another,,, MM perhaps?

The MTD artist is a very easy bass to play, the pickup and electronics are so so and the basswood body doesn't help either. Great neck, the radius is (10") with a contoured feel and light satin finish.
Its one of the best necks I've ever played and my dream bass would seriously take notes from this neck. Its really light at under 8lbs.

I'm not a big fan of the MTD sound now that I've owned one for 2 years, I've also tried the Heir & the P & J versions (basswood) and they suffer from the same midrange bump,
not sure yet whether thats the body or the neck contributing to the tone. For a low end model the Kingstons are ahead as far as construction and detail is concerned...
tone, well thats another story.

 

[SGD Lutherie]

It's bright tone is quite different from my Squire P/J & Schecter Elite, & that's a plus. However I'd like to be able to get a more classic tone out of it as well (without sacrificing it's current tone).

Check to see if the pickup is wired in parallel. That's the standard way for MM pickups, and gives them a bright tone.

You can add a series/parallel switch, and in series the pickup would be fuller sounding with more mids and lows, and slightly reduced highs.

That would give you two tones with one pickup and a switch.

 

[fenderVI]

Hi David,

When I had the NP4 routed my tech guy said the MTD pickup was wired in series, which we both thought was interesting considering most MM's are wired in Parallel.
So a switch would be a great addition. I'm considering it, though, on the other hand I have so many better options with bass guitars that any more $$ spent on this bass
could be a waste, if you know what I mean.

I'm considering a pair of your ND3's for my Lakland haven't quite decided whether to go both ND3's or a sidewinder in the mix. I've just ordered a LH3 preamp from
Hansonguitars as a start to modding my lak anyway and will sit with the MK1's for a bit.

Pickups have become a real curiosity for me lately, considering they are made of basic components and similar designs, why do they all sound different?

If pickup makers are all using good materials, is it just the windings that create different tones?

What gives each brand its particular sonic characteristics?

You must have a fascination for pickups too seeing as you make them.

I have a Marcus Miller sig 4 string which I love the tone of and an old 1983 Daion with the original P and J pickups. I have no idea who made them, the P sounds really good
the J seems a little thin but it is routed in the 70s postion. Hard to say if I could improve upon the originals when I don't know as much about pickups as someone who makes them.

Anyway, not sure if the OP is still around so he probably won't mind the slight thread hi-jack.

Paul

 

[SGD Lutherie]

Pickups have become a real curiosity for me lately, considering they are made of basic components and similar designs, why do they all sound different?

If pickup makers are all using good materials, is it just the windings that create different tones?

What gives each brand its particular sonic characteristics?

You must have a fascination for pickups too seeing as you make them.

Yes, I do, which is why I started messing with them back in the late 70s.

The reason pickups sound different is the recipe that the winder uses. Even with the same pickup design, say something like a P bass pickup, you can get variations with how many turns, and gauge of wire you use. How many turns per layer matters as well. Then you have wire with regular or thicker insulation.

Then you can alter the geometry of the coil from tall and thin, or short or squat and in between. Then you have the magnet material and strength, as well as using steel pole pieces. And different grades of steel sound different depending on how much carbon is in it. The amount of steel in the core of the coil changes things too.

Then if you have two coils in a hum canceling arrangement, the distance between the coils, and the way the are setup makes a difference in tone. This is also try of how wide the pole pieces are.

That's just the tip of the iceberg if you are making pickups that don't stick to the Fender or Gibson models.

It's a lot of fun to try out new ideas, and also very time consuming.